BAD TIMING

Senate Hopeful’s Campaign Derailed by Car Crash

Mary Peltola suffered minor injuries from a car crash just before she was set to do a last-minute campaign blitz across the state.

Alaska Senate hopeful Mary Peltola was injured in a car crash this weekend that has forced her to postpone campaign events in the final stretch of the race.

Peltola and her family were on their way to Anchorage for the Alaska Federation of Natives banquet on Saturday when their vehicle was struck by another driver, her campaign announced. Nobody was seriously injured, but Peltola has postponed the Sunday and Monday slots in a weeklong slate of events for her “Always Alaska Tour” — a last-minute blitz to meet Alaskan voters around the state.

“Per the advice of medical professionals, Mary’s upcoming events in Fairbanks and Bethel will be rescheduled for later in the week as she takes time to recover,” Alaskans for Mary campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said in the statement. “She is eager to get back on the campaign trail and speak directly with Alaskans about her plan to take on the rigged system and lower the costs for working families.”

Events taking place in Homer, Kenai, Seward, Juneau, Anchorage, and Palmer later in the week will continue as scheduled.

The Alaska Senate race is one of the most closely watched, as Democrats are hoping to flip the seat.

According to Cook Political Report, the Alaska contest went from Lean Republican to a toss-up earlier this year, opening up an unforeseen opportunity for Democrats to seize the Land of the Midnight Sun.

The theatrics intensified during the primaries, when the incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan was challenged by an Independent Dan J. Sullivan, a teacher who made his foray into politics this cycle. Both of the Sullivans advanced into the ranked-choice general election, along with Peltola and Gerald Heikes.

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Republicans rebuked the newcomer Sullivan, accusing the candidate of being a “Democrat plant” who was on the ballot to intentionally confuse voters. President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to block the certification of the race if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses.

“ALASKA: Be careful, VOTE FOR THE REAL DAN SULLIVAN TODAY,” Trump said during the Alaska primaries. “Don’t let these Fraudsters get away with this HOAX.”

The Alaska Supreme Court already ruled earlier this year that both Dan Sullivans would appear on the ballot on election day.

In a New York Times profile earlier this year, Dan J. Sullivan said it was not his intention to trick constituents, but rather, use his name to amplify his platform.

“I would hope people are informed enough to know the difference between an incumbent senator and a teacher,” he said.

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Christopher Buchanan

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